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Monday, 30 June 2014

There are moments in life where you realise the sheer enormity of the world and the past, present and the future. That we as people are awfully small and that the lucky few leave a lasting legacy touching the lives of others for years to come.

I was struck by it all whilst away in Budapest a few weeks ago. The above photo is of the Hungarian Houses of Parliament taking from a river cruise on the River Danube. It is one of the most beautiful places that I've been too, which in all honesty surprised me. That and the fact that the temperature was up at 38 degrees most of the time...

All in all, it was an amazing break, the country was brilliant, the hotel made me feel like a princess and by some miracle I managed not to burn!

Thursday, 26 June 2014

Children always seem to be drawn to the bright colourful slush machines when on days out, much to the parents disgust. There is little that can distract the little people from the what is in essence liquid sugar, but I have come up with a solution.

Orange & Lemon Slush Puppy.

More healthy, no fuss, easy to make slush puppies, perfect for this wonderful hot weather that we have!

All that you need:
- Strong freezer bags
-Squash/Wine/Fruit Juice
-A freezer
-A rolling pin or other such smashable implement.

All that you need to do:
1. Make squash
2.Pour squash/wine/juice into a bag and tie. Tightly.
3.Lay bag down so that the liquid is as thin as possible (the thinner it is, the easier it is to slush...)
4.Leave for a few hours to freeze.
Once frozen...
5.Remove from freezer and use rolling pin to break the ice blocks into smaller mushier* pieces.
6.Put in a glass and serve.

*I apologise for my rather rubbish description, I was never any good at english...

Wednesday, 25 June 2014

This photo is my entry to the letter G Linky run by the wonderful Charly over at www.podcastdove.com/

Those of you who don't know/have lived under a rock for the last few days wouldn't know that I spent my weekend with lots of mums and dads at #Britmumslive. (Yes, I gatecrashed, and no, kids are not on the horizon just yet...) It was crazy and wonderful and incredibly full on, but funnily enough I would have had it any other way....

I confess, I managed to get through the weekend by having a short break here and there. There was me sat in the marquee with a glass of Lindeman's Chardonnay in one hand and my phone in the other (Antisocial I know... but we are bloggers...)

Lindeman's Chardonnay is an Australian Wine, which I think had something to do with the fact it was best enjoyed whilst sat in the sun. You could even say it was made for it. Each drop has had 1000 hours of sunlight, or so I'm told. Us bloggers certainly enjoyed it enough to drink through a fair amount, I'd hate to think how much wine we collectively went through over the two days....

It was a great weekend, with great wine, and great sponsors. Roll on next year!

Tuesday, 24 June 2014

What does a blogger look like? Is there one defining way of picking out bloggers from the rest of the population? Could you pick one out in a crowd.

#BritmumsLive

Picture the scene, a room full of bloggers. All wearing tiaras listening to the keynote speaker, Emma Freud. (Wonderful but, not something I thought I'd ever experience...)

I looked around and was struck by how different each and every one of them were. These bloggers all have different styles, both in fashion and writing, different experiences and different attitudes. They all were in one room, from every single walk of life.

From the loud witty types, to the quieter types with more below the surface we all blog because we enjoy it. We enjoy writing about our lives and sharing our story online, the soaring highs with the lowest of lows, as well as the muddling along in between. We get to know each other in a way that would suggest to those who don't know that we've known each other for years, whilst not quite managing to put faces to names.

The best bit is it feels like a community. A community with enough power to affect the internet and the world... (Even Emma Freud said so) Everyone allows the others to discover themselves whilst supporting the writing. Yes, there's sometimes problems - one blogger not happy with another - but I challenge you to find a group of people this large that is perfect and has no issues. I'd imagine that it's near on impossible.

It may not have been fully what most people expected, but all I can say is roll on #BritmumsLive2015

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

9 o'clock lecture? At first thought this would appear to be simple. Just get up, jump in the shower, get dressed and have a bite to eat for breakfast, before heading off, fully alert to absorb all the information that the lecturers throw at you.

Basically, this is about as far from the truth as humanly possible. Us students love our sleep (tiny bit of a sweeping generalisation there....)

It is more likely that you wake up half hour before the lecture, have a greaseball for hair and can still smell the beer from the night before. Getting ready involves skipping the shower in favour of half a can of deoderant and a handful of proplus before you shoot out the door, completely forgetting about breakfast until your stomach grumbles in the middle of the lecture.

But I have found a few small things that will make your morning half a ton easier, it certainly made mine easier.

1. Baby Wipes. I am 20 and I have been caught with babywipes in my handbag. I don't have children - although I do surround myself with a rather messy set of people...- but I have found that the are suffice for 'freshening up' first thing so that you can make that lecture/school run without yesterdays makeup halfway down your face. Yes, I know that beauty bloggers say they aren't the best thing for your face, but how bad can they really be?

2. Dry Shampoo. Whoever invented this is a god. Countless mornings my trusty can of dry shampoo has given me a precious few more minutes so that I'm not late to the lecture right the other side of the city. Have used talc powder too... except then all I could smell was babies, which led me to think that if I could smell it, so could the unfortunate guy next to me. So Embarrassing.

3. Cereal bars/Packets of Biscuits. I hide these in my handbag so that when I oversleep I have something to eat on the way to lectures without having to prepare or venture into the mess that is usually our kitchen. Rather this, than skipping the most important meal of the day.

4. Packing my Handbag the night before. Notes, pens, breakfast, purse and keys all sorted so that all I have to do is pick up the bag and go without having to think about whether I have the classwork that I need when I'm halfway there....

I am not a morning person but with these simple things, I have found that they are a teeny little bit more bearable....

Monday, 16 June 2014

Blogging is my hobby and I cannot wait to be in a room of like minded people having to chance to talk to people who instantly 'get it'. Because there are people out there who somehow just don't.

My blog was the brainchild of my BF who suggested that I follow in the footsteps of Madmumof7 so that my brain didn't become mush (well anymore so that usual) over the 3 months away from university that we call the summer holidays. Little less than a year ago, 'Surviving Univeristy one week at a time' was born. Through this, I have met people I never thought I'd meet, rambled about my life at university and found one of the most supportive communities out there. It's been wonderful.

I just hope that BritMums is the highlight of my blog year.

I heard the stories last year of the laughter, fun and friendships that came from the event last year and am desperate the be in the middle of it all.... So this year I'm off to London, taking time of work and giving it all I've got. I'm determined to make the most of the time that we have - because I'm guessing that time will fly by for me....

Trying to put the names and faces to the blogs will be impossible, I've got the memory of a goldfish, so if you happen to see a slightly lost, girl with faded ginger hair, that'll be me - come say hi, just please don't be too offended if I can't put 2&2 together!

Wednesday, 11 June 2014

I like to read. Alot. There is nothing more perfect than finding the perfect reading spot on a comfy chair and curling up for several hours in the world that the story is set. Romance, Crime or Drama. I'll give anything a go once, but my only stipulation is that I give the story a chance and read right to the end. (The only exception being Les Mis - but to be fair, that is seriously hard going...)

My most recent book was 'You're The One that I want' by Giovanna Fletcher. After seeing it compared to Paige Toon, I knew I had to give it a try so persuaded my BF to buy it for my birthday.

A book full of love, romance, and totally something that you can feel yourself falling deeper and deeper into. The story follows Maddy, the girl next door who grew up with her two best friends, Rob and Ben. The problem is, fast forward a few years and she is marrying one but knows that she could have easily been getting married to the other. They are her world and she loves them both. The story follows her trying to find and follow the right path without tearing her friendships apart.

I loved the story, with my only criticism being that I read through it too fast because I couldn't put it down... I can totally feel all of the emotion from every character and somehow it made me wonder where my life will have taken me in 20 years time. A feat not often managed by a book...

I will definitely be looking for more of Giovanna's books and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Monday, 9 June 2014

Take a moment to step back and remember the world when you have a childlike fascination.

Then maybe, just maybe, you'll come close to the awe I felt when I walked through the doors to the IceBar London.

Think adulthood combines with Disney's Frozen and you may come close to the magic that there is just off of Regent's Street.

We were met at the doors with the staff who helped us into our 'designer thermal robes and gloves' aimed to keep us nice and toasty during our 40 minutes session. Then we entered the chamber made almost entirely of ice. Everything is made from perfectly clear ice, with its imperfections (although they somehow made it look more amazing) harvested from Jukkasjarvi in Northern Sweden.

My Frozen cocktail.

Our cocktails - included in the entry price - were served in ice glasses and we took the time to sit back and revel in the music, lights and ice.

Must admit, although I was beginning to lose feeling in my toes by the end of the session but I will definitely be back when the design team transform the architecture.

It is definitely worth the time and visit. Best thing is, although you are supposed to book, there always seems to be spaces, so even if you're rather last minute get yourself there!

Friday, 6 June 2014

I've finished the second year of my degree - that's somewhat scary that I'm 2/3's of the way through my course. And that this year actually means something! That combined with the fact my blog is coming up to a year old means that I've had a fairly hectic year. Wonderful but hectic.

I've achieved so much, yet so little in such a space of time and it's crazy to think not only how I have grown but how my little corner of the internet has developed alongside me...

When I first started this blog, I promised myself that it would be truthful and that this blog wouldn't be me talking about university while walking through life with rose-tinted glasses, because realistically life just isn't always perfect.

And things definitely haven't been perfect. There have been times when I've wondered whether university was right for me, whether I had it in me to keep up with the rest of the class when I felt so far behind, and what I'd do if I did leave. I've wondered whether it was my course, or flat or work that has made me feel like it and drawn a blank every time I've tried to find any answers.

Thankfully these feelings have passed, and I in no way want to leave. I may have struggled this year but I do not want my journey to end. I am determined to finish this degree and continue to grow. I have so much more to achieve and experience.

This year in the end may have been ok, but next year is going to be so much better!

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

There's so many things I've learnt in the last few years at university, things I now couldn't live without knowing alongside things I wish I'd known when I started. I've decided to share my top 5 tips for surviving university - who knows they may make your life that little bit easier...

1. Budget, budget, budget! I know, I sound like my parents but it's something that I really I wish I had in my first year... I definitely do now - most of the time - because there's nothing I hate more than having to penny pinch in the final few weeks of the term.

2. Attempt to make as many friends as you can... In lecture, in your flat, or even in societies. But accept that not everyone you meet will land up being particularly close to you. People have a very different way about them when alcohol is involved.... Also accept that friendship groups will change over the time you are there, with the firm friends emerging.

3. Remember that academics aren't everything, make sure you get the chance to go out and experience everything you can... (this ONLY applicable in the first year, I'm not condoning not doing work, make sure you pass, else there will be no more university experiences!) There's nights out, parties, society meetings, trips and so much more than just lectures.

4. Take a million and one photos. Trust me, you'll look back on some of the photos and wonder where and what the photos are of. But at least this gives you the chance to look back on all of the silly things you'll do. You'll want it. Especially when exams and deadlines hit and you're stuck wondering why you even applied to uni...

5. Understand that you will see things differently to other people, and that this will cause arguments no matter how laid back you are. You may well see the mess in the kitchen and think it's not bad, another flatmates will think its horrific. You may well think it's fine to leave dirty underwear on the bathroom floor, another flatmates will think this is the worse thing you could possibly do in life! Just stay calm and try and come up to a solution that works for everyone!

University is the maddest, funniest, most expensive, time to learn in your life. You will look back and wonder where the time went. Appreciate every moment, it'll be the little things that get you through surviving university.

Monday, 2 June 2014

I am very much a child. I may have just turned 20 - no longer a teenager here! - but I still firmly believe that the best way to live like is as though you are a child. Life should be full of smiles and laughter and not all about the worries and problems (although obviously these all need thinking about from time to time...)

When my BF suggested that we take a somewhat spontaneous trip to Marwell Zoo for my birthday which isn't too far from mine. The weather forecast predicted rain - which I ignored, because when is the forecast every spot on,and off we set. (It did land up pouring it down in the afternoon as you can see from the picture somewhere over there>>)

There were animals. And more animals. I won't bore you with the details, you can look in the photos. But it was perfectly amazing day, rain included. Finished off with a boozy dinner out with my flatmates.

About Me

Spends my life travelling between home and work on the Hampshire/Surrey border and my other home in Portsmouth for University. Happiest when I'm spending time with my family, my university 'family' & friends.
Tweet me on Twitter: @Drurykat
Drop me an email: Gingersnapblogger@gmail.com